AverageJer

He didn't twist your post, he bolded something that you wrote. Maybe you should instead think a little bit about what you write before you post it.

Are you blaming her for his rude comment?

my vote is for Claudia de Sabe

FYI it's usually not a problem to enter public baths "sento" with tattoos. Private hot springs "onsen" and hotel baths and pools are more likely to be a problem.
This site is only in Japanese, but it offers consumer-based info on establishments that accept customers with tattoos: タトゥー・刺é’を入れã¦ã‚‚大丈夫ãªæ—¥æœ¬ä¸*ã®ãƒ—ールã«ã‚µã‚¦ãƒŠãƒ»æ¸©æ³‰ãƒ»éŠ*湯情å*±å…±æœ‰ã‚µã‚¤ãƒˆã€ã‚¿ãƒˆã‚¥ãƒ¼ã‚¹ãƒãƒƒãƒˆ

Thanks. The friends I am going with aren't into tattoos. At least not like I am. One of them has a few but isn't really into them, the other has none. More and more I am thinking I want to try and make this work. My wife, who is being super cool just to let me go on this trip at all, is encouraging me to go for it. She's the one that got me into tattoos in the first place and I really want one the more I think about it. I guess time will tell.

Thanks. The friends I am going with aren't into tattoos. At least not like I am. One of them has a few but isn't really into them, the other has none. More and more I am thinking I want to try and make this work. My wife, who is being super cool just to let me go on this trip at all, is encouraging me to go for it. She's the one that got me into tattoos in the first place and I really want one the more I think about it. I guess time will tell.

Yeah- I have read this- at least in some of them. Not sure if they are in the plans anyway. Maybe.

I've stayed in the Park Hyatt Tokyo a couple of times and although you can walk around without a problem if you want to eat / drink in either of the two bars or restaurants the staff can be sticky about making you observe the dress code, and doing that tends to mean you have de facto covered up.
I was politely told once that they couldn't seat me in the casual lobby bar (I was wearing shorts). Embarrassing and a bit frustrating, but not unexpected really.
The pool was a no-no without rash guards. Oddly the gym is no problem.
As far as public baths go: I found two where I was let in... dunno if they are on the seedy end of the spectrum but it didn't seem like it.

I wouldn't say its a problem to walk around with visible tattoos in high end hotels. People just tend to presume you're someone 'famous' very ironic but can be funny.

Wait, I can rent my body space out? And here I have been paying for my tattoos like a sucker.

Three Tides is in Osaka and Tokyo.

Our little one is super into My Little Pony these days. The new(er) ones on Netflix are a lot less insipid than the original -- more of a Powerpuff Girls vibe. Any other comments/questions about the viewing habits of six-year-old girls, I'm your man.

I was hoping to see some troll (or atleast onis, demons, etc.) tattoos here...

That's a good point, I'm sure that's where the "1 year" idea comes from. People feel that if they follow the right rules, or make their tattoo sentimental enough, they can be certain to avoid regretting their decision. I bet a lot of people who end up getting (what we would consider) silly tattoos as their first probably go on to get awesome work later once they get that mental hurdle out of the way.
I think that's part of what makes tattoos so great though... the commitment, the permanence, the trust in your artist. Because of these things, every tattoo is inherently meaningful just for the process itself. Overthinking it or trying too hard to take the risk aspect away from that tattoo would, ironically, somewhat diminish the sentiment of it for me. I'm rambling now, though... :)

I look back with vivid embarrassment at my first thoughts surrounding my first tattoo... and after reading a post like this, I'm really glad I never really talked about it with anyone, haha. I had mostly come to my senses re: design before the needle hit my skin, thank goodness, but it took so long to get to that point because I was obsessive over everything (design/details/meaning/etc.).
I think it's a really common perspective for people getting their first tattoo. Maybe I tend to have more sympathy for these people than others since I basically used to be like that myself. Of course, I still think they need to educate themselves, but I get where they're coming from. Too much attention to an abstract meaning almost always means the tattoo suffers. But when you think about changing your body permanently for the first time, it's probably pretty natural to want as much control as possible.

This would not work with my kindergarten daughter who knows all about our tattoos. In fact she loves to go to the shop we like because every time we go in she gets to feed the koi fish and they give her a press on tattoo. We have had multiple conversations about how our tattoos are with needles under our skin, hurt, and are forever. She said she wants to wait until she is 50 but I guess we will see.

Tattooer CP. True Love Tattoo, Brisbane. Australia.

Down with homework, up with miniskirts!

Wait, I can rent my body space out? And here I have been paying for my tattoos like a sucker.

Women with snakes and crossbones? Sounds goddamn tough and sexy!

Good for you for taking charge of your health. I have also gotten myself into better shape over the last few years and have found that this makes getting tattoos all the more fun. I have a tattoo I really like on my shoulder and I enjoy wearing clothing that shows it off (in the summer, it's below zero temperatures today). Three years ago I would never have worn sleeveless shirts. I feel like there is some kind of mutual incentive with all of this- I want to be fit so I can enjoy my tattoos and I like to get tattoos as an inspiration to remain fit.
Get something you like and that you'd like others to see. You will know what it means to you and no one else will probably even care.
I saw a wonderful quote recently that said something like "you will worry less about what other people think about you once you realize how infrequently they do so."

I second @Killercook76. Definitely tell them your budget and also know it's OK to ask for a ballpark even when the design is in limbo. I ask all the time and they usually give me a range, then I save the amount of the highest figure + tip.

bryan burk dark horse, los angeles

From Jessi Lawson at Leviticus Tattoo in Minneapolis.

From Jessi Lawson at Leviticus Tattoo in Minneapolis.